Giganotosaurus carolinii:A paleobiological Analysis
Taxonomy of Giganotosaurus carolinii
Giganotosaurus carolinii
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Sauropsida
Superorder: Dinosauria
Order:Saurischia
Suborder:Theropoda
Family:Carcharodontosauridae
Subfamily:Giganotosaurinae
Genus:Giganotosaurus
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Period:Late Cretaceous
Ages:Teronian
Time Span:90-89 MYA
Discoverer:Ruben Carolini
Place of discovery: Rio Limay,Argentina
year of discovery:1993
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Anatomy
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Length:12.2-12.5 m (40-41 ft)to14.5 m(47 ft)
Height:5 meters
Weight:8 tons
Diet:carnivorous
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Giganotosaurus carolinii is one of the largest (if not the largest) predatory dinosaurs to have ever lived. Coming in at six feet, it's skull is the largest carnivorous dinosaur skull to have ever been found. Even bigger then Tyrannosaurus rex. Like all large theropods, Giganotosaurus has large openings in it's skull called fenestrae. The fenestrae were the places the jaw muscle would attach to the skull, as we can see by the skull, Giganotosaurus had a very powerful bite. Giganotosaurus also had a very well developed olfactory system and binocular vision. Traits essential to such a successful predator
Although outwardly similar in appearance, Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus are not closely related. This can be easily discerned by looking at the teeth of the two animals. The teeth of T-rex are rounded and have a lot of variety in size, they were made for biting through flesh and crushing bone. Paleontologist Jack Horner on the uniqueness of Giganotosaurus' teeth,"They are unusual teeth that are laterally compressed whereas those of T. Rex are circular. They [Giganotosaurus' teeth] are for cutting." The teeth of Giganotosaurus were narrower then those of T.rex and had less variation in their size. The design of the teeth (of Giganotosaurus) show that they were used for slashing flesh. Italso possessed long powerful legs and strong medium length forearms. Paleontologists estimate that itcould reach speeds of up to 31 miles per hour, using it's stiff tail as balance.
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Predatory Behavior
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Giganotosaurus was the largest predator of it's era and would have had no competition. If it wanted to eat, it would either have killed it's own meal or scavenged it's meal off of smaller carnivores. Paleontologists universally accept however that Giganotosaurus was primarily a hunter.Like a sharp steak knife, Giganotosaurus would cut at it's prey with it's powerful jaws, shearing off large hunks of flesh. Evidence has also been discovered that suggests Giganotosaurus hunted in packs. Paleontologists Rodolfo Coria and Phillip Currie discovered fossils from 5 different specimens, all different sizes, during the spring of 1998. This suggests that previous notions about the predatory behavior of Giganotosaurus may need to be re-examined. Paleontologist Rodolfo Coria thinks that the predatory behavior of Giganotosaurus may have been similar to the modern Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis). The Komodo dragon hunts by biting it's prey and waiting for the animal to bleed out or become infected and die.
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Social Behavior
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With a brain the size of a banana,paleontologists originally assumed that Giganotosaurus was a pretty stupid animal which had a very limited social structure. Recent discoveries of a possible pack of Giganotosaurus have made paleontologists cast the animal in a more positive light. What is not known for sure however is if it hunted in packs or came together in packs to mate. The jury is still out as to why Giganotosaurus gathered in packs. No nest sites have been found which also prevents us from knowing if it raised it's young. Unfortunately, not that much is known about the social behavior of Giganotosaurus, but what we do know paints a fascinating and more complex picture then what was previously imagined.
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Conclusion
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Giganotosaurus carolinii was the largest terrestrial predator to have ever lived in South America, and possibly the largest terrestrial predator to have existed. As we gaze at it's proud remains in museum halls and University labs, we get only a glimpse of how this magnificent animal looked like as it lived. Truly, it was one of the most terrifying and amazing animals to have ever existed.
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Sources
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http://www.accessexcellence.org/WN/SUA10/gigant597.php
http://members.tripod.com/~megalania/giganoto.html
http://www.dinodata.org/index.php?op...8988&Itemid=67
Dinosaurs: The Textbook by Spencer G. Lucas
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Julius2
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I appreciate it. I have decided to at least do one more. Coming out next Friday!
Indeed.
I will tell you this, it will be another carnivore.
